Motormouth From Ipoh – A Malaysian Food Blog

So how’s YOUR Reunion Dinner come this roaring, bawling and ferocious year of the Tiger?! For the past few years, we’ve NOT been having home-cooked meals for more reasons than one (the tiresome preparations, cleaning on top of the annual spring cleaning, and of course, the escalated prices of the fresh goods from the market), and instead have opted for meals in restaurants; ranging from a diverse range of Chinese diners (such as Kok Thai in Ipoh Garden East, Han City, Mun Choong), to Western outlets such as Secret Recipe, and even fast food options such as KFC and Pizza Hut. Yeah ….. my family is NOT your typical idea of a most traditional (Read : stubborn) one, for even my grandma enjoys her piece of fried chicken more than a piece of steamed chicken.

More fritters than vegetables, or even raw fish, the platter of “Lucky Vivid Raw Fish” was a most disappointing start

For this year, we had our annual gathering at Delight Seafood Restaurant, for surprise, surprise! All the other alternatives have been fully booked, 2 weeks before the date! No, of course not the Western counterparts, but the Chinese diners in Ipoh. And of course, we did hear rave reviews about Delight Seafood Restaurant from some other foodies.

But seriously, the last time I dined here, back in 2008 when I was still blogging at my old blog, the meal was satisfactory, yet it cost a BOMB! But of course, their ingenious pairing of the East and the West was spot-on, with delectable items such as grilled pork ribs and lamb ribs on the menu. You can of course, read my review back then at Food Street.

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Continuation from Krabi/Phuket 2010 – Part One …

When the beach is over-populated by the sheer number of beach beds, more than the people out for a tan, and over-shadowing the soft, fine sands …… you know commercialization has taken over.

The simple Thai breakfast at Tonsai off the main road running parallel to Patong beach fueled us with sufficient energy to hop over to the beach, which was starting to see a hive of activities – from the ones strolling along casually to the ones jogging on the soft, sandy stretch of sands, to those lying down on the beach beds (about 80-100 baht / RM8-10 / USD2.30-2.90 per bed, NOT FOC) for a tan and joyful souls splashing in the shallow end of the emerald waters.

As crowded as Patong Beach might get, the beach was still well-kept, unlike the ones here in Malaysia with rubbishes strewn all over the place, and the waters so murky you wouldn’t wanna touch with a 10-foot pole.

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How does it feel to be dining in the compound of someone else’s house? If you think that’s awkward, well …. think again.

There’s this restaurant (or as close to a restaurant as this premise can be) in Taman Chi Liung of Klang, which was opened by a former cook from a restaurant (pardon me, but sources unknown and not verified). The name of the restaurant is Seafood Paradise, and I tell you, the array of dishes listed and pictured in their menu is not shabby at all. An impressive range of seafood, meats, vegetables, rice and noodle dishes numbering in the realm of 80-100 items, if my memory serves me right.

Which on most days, it does not. Oh well …….

Don’t let the miserable patronage deters you, for it was rather early on that evening we went for dinner ….. A second visit revealed the sheer number of customers Seafood Paradise usually has. Crowded to the max.

If you’re thinking, nah …. just another run-of-the-mill ‘Chu Char’ (Chinese style of serving dishes and rice) restaurant, you’re in for a surprise. The innovative dishes conjured up by the proprietor himself (fondly known as ‘Kong Tau Loh’ or Botak/Bald Guy) sounded very inviting, and you just have to browse the menu for vividly-coloured shots of the dishes, paired with descriptions in both Chinese and English, for a general idea on what they serve.

From crabs to prawns and fish, as well as chicken and pork, the manner of serving them is pratically endless, what’s more with the seldom available Crispy Yam Ring (‘Futt Poot’) with a variety of fillings, such as Marmite pork ribs, chicken, etc. Guaranteed you’ll find something for everyone – Sweet & Sour/Butter Cream dishehs for the younger ones, Spicy Assam and Curries for the adults, and softer Tofu (beancurd) and greens for the elderly.

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Pardon the hiatus, people. Happy New Year, no matter how belated this greeting may sound. But of course, it’s Happy New YEAR, not Happy 1st of January, so anytime’s fine I assume. I was down to Malacca/Kuala Lumpur for the past week, a much needed and deserved 2 weeks break from the office. Which is still undergoing renovation and smelling like glue+chemicals. But I have to admit …. the combination of stench was rather intoxicating. Wait, I am NOT being myself here …… Let’s do a short post on the Malacca getaway now, okay?

The Journey to the South started on the 30th of December 2009 – A most auspicious day. Don’t ask why.

And thus, we embarked on our road trip down south, preparing for the worst possible jam (remember that dastardly 7 hours jam from Penang to Ipoh back in November last year?) but pleasantly surprised by the smooth traffic all the way til Malacca from Ipoh. We did make a few stops here and there, to cater to those bursting bladders and incessant needs to satisfy the hunger pangs. NOT mine, definitely. For I was still in a state of unrest, bordering on turmoil if you will. That lingering effect of a stale prawn lasted me for TWO years, literally. Few days, spanning from the end of December until the start of the brand new year of 2010.

So you can imagine how my year started off with a BANG! (Not the most pleasant kind, for sure). Unlike 2009’s Tenji experience. Wait …. come to think about it, that was NOT much of a satisfactory start either. Oh well ….. deja vu then.

Pun Chun @ Bidor – Duck Noodles (RM6.60)

We stopped over at Bidor in Perak, at the most famous restaurant in the small town populated with a majority of Chinese eateries. You can read about my previous lacklustre experience back in 2008, when I felt disappointed with the quality of the duck thigh noodles back then. And equally dismayed at the shrinking in size, and increasingly pricey ‘Wu Kok’ (Yam puff).

But this visit proved otherwise, for we felt that the noodles (their own, QQ-texture/springy egg noodles aka wantan mee) tossed lightly in a mix of soy sauce, dark soy sauce and a dash of compulsory sesame oil scored brilliant, brownie points with us. Yup, in comparison to some other ‘over-rated’ versions of the same noodles (no prize for guessing which, you can dig for them in my archive), Pun Chun’s version was really good. My expectations was low, but surpassed indefinitely. And the upper thigh of the duck, cooked in a most wholesome and flavourful herbal concoction (you can slurp them all down without feeling the thirst, a sign of omission of MSG/flavour-enhancer) was tender, fork tender (or in this case, chopstick-tender?) with a slight tinge of gamey taste, exactly how I like my duck.

The yam puff was still …. erm, pathetically small and dry. And it’s RM1.60 per piece now. No idea what’s the fuss about them, as you can get other superior versions in dim sum outlets in Ipoh, and even some random stalls at the market. There’s a FANTASTIC variety sold at the Bercham morning market, though I have no idea which stall specifically.

Address : Pun Chun Restaurant – Duck Noodles, Wantan Mee, Yam Puff
38-40, Jalan Besar,
35500 Bidor, Perak, Malaysia
Telephone : 605-434 1554,605-434 1562

Okay, so what’s next? Off to the south we go ….. for some Seremban Siew Pow by the expressway !!!

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The abundance of roes was astounding! Pity Mr Prawn’s head also punctured by the pressure!

To get you along the mid-week blues (though it’s a much, much revered 4 days working week), let me share another famous Chinese seafood restaurant in Tanjung Tualang of Perak. No doubt you’ve read about my crustacean-walloping experience back in August of 2008. What? You mean you forgot to read the Lung Seng Restaurant review, when we had half a kg of prawns cooked Kam Heong style, while another 500g in lots of crunchy Nestum? Go read now, wipe your chin dry, and come back again.

Okay, done? Tanjung Tualang houses so many seafood restaurants, you’d be thinking where to go for some simpler hawker food. Really. They’re all around the wet market of Tanjung Tualang, built in the midst of the town itself. Another restaurant that has been around for many years now, and with a strong following of its own, is Luen Fong Restaurant – An air-conditioned corner lot next to Sun Mee Fong (sp?), another popular choice amongst the tourists. Though I have heard from a friend, stating that the locals do NOT patronize these erm … tourist-traps. Instead, they go to lesser known brands, an example being Yau Kee (again, not sure of the spelling).

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